You've changed me, my Queen
by LanaRegina
Summary: Set after the season final of season 3 (contains spiler for those who haven't seen the last episodes). Emma brought Maid Marian back from the past, saving her life, without knowing her identity. At Granny's she is introduced to Regina, but just then Robin recognises her... What happens to Regina? This is a story dealing with favourite character's feelings and her true love.


After one last glare at Emma, Regina left the café slamming the door behind her. Let people think what they wanted, she didn't care! The only think that mattered to her in that moment was getting far frm _Granny's. _She felt rage building up inside her, the rage she had felt for years, the rage that came from a deep wound. And she knew it wouldn't have led to anything good. But she didn't want anybody to see it, not now that she had managed to create a stable life for herself and be appreciated. Not now that she had conquered her son's love. Not now that she had… no, she didn't anymore, she had lost him. Robin wasn't hers anymore, and maybe never had.

Abruptly, she wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks and paced quickly towards her Vault. Only when she was safe inside, alone, she let loose of her emotions. She sat on the ground, with her knees close to her chest, and cried. She cried because she knew she had lost something she had always desired, she had lost her true love after having just found him, after having him with her for a very brief time, but enough to feel her heart break while the thought that she had lost him sank in. But it wasn't her fault. Emma had ruined it all, as her mother had done in the past. Emma had brought Marian to Storybrook.

Marian.

That Marian. Her Robin's wife, the woman Robin still cried for sometimes. Marian was dead. Marian should have been dead… but Emma had changed the past, she had saved her and brought her to the real world, without knowing who she was. It would have been a good action, the new Regina would have even appreciated the Saviour's generosity, had it been anybody else. But Marian… Robin's reaction had broken her heart, his relieved cry when he had called his wife's name, his loving gestures towards her… they had all been like stabs to Regina.

She tried to stop thinking about it, but she couldn't help it. Painful memories filled her mind, clouding her thoughts: Robin kissing Marian, Roland running to her and hugging her. She had lost them both, Robin and Roland. She had lost them.

-It's all Emma Swan's fault- she found herself thinking.

The rage she had tried to repress blazed within her, she lost her breath for a moment. She tried to settle down, to fight the Evil Queen back. Regina wasn't that woman anymore, Reina had changed. She tried to convince herself. For Henry, at least, if she couldn't do it for Robin and Roland anymore. She felt dark magic run in her veins, whispering for her to wield it, and she had to force herself to avoid answering that call.

-It's not Emma's fault, it's not Emma's fault, it's not Emma's fault- she repeated over and over, to dismiss the rage that had almost overpowered her. -She didn't know it, it's not Emma's fault-

She shut her eyes, holding her head in her hands. And she screamed. Nobody could hear her, she was alone, as she had always been. Alone… alone… alone…

"Regina!"

She must have fallen asleep. She didn't know how long she had been there, she didn't even care truthfully. Sleeping chased away pain, rage, hatred. Sleeping helped her stay sane and avoid going crazy, back to what she didn't want to be anymore.

"Regina!"

Her eyes burst open abruptly.

That voice was not only in her mind, it wasn't part of her whirling dreams. Somebody was out there, somebody was looking for her.

"Regina, I beg you, let me in!"

That's when she really woke up. It wasn't just It wasn't just _anybody _calling her. It was a voice she wasn't expecting to hear, truly. Especially with that tone that was worried and sweet all at the same time.

"Regina, I know you are here, please let me in!" the voice begged.

Without wasting more time, Regina rushed up the stairs and stopped just before the door to her vault. Her heart was beating crazily, she gave herself a moment to settle down, but it was useless. She heard a strong knock, took a deep breath and opened.

She met Robin's eyes and she flushed, suddenly realising what she must have looked like. Then she told herself it didn't matter.

Neither of them spoke, their lips couldn't form word that made sense. The stared at each other, without being able to look away.

"I thought you weren't going to open the door for me" Robin whispered, at last.

"I thought you weren't going to ask me to" Regina answered with a cracked voice, after a few seconds in which she had looked for a more adequate answer to avoid showing how hurt she was. She failed. "Have you come to say goodbye?" she asked then, making an effort to sounds detached. Again, she failed. She felt a tear run down her face and she quickly hid it by turning her back on Robin.

But he didn't let her move away. He stopped her, taking her hand before she couldn't even take one step. "No" he murmured.

Regina froze, but she didn't turn around. She didn't even take her hands away from his, though. She held her breath, scared she might have misheard or that she might miss the man's next words.

"No" he repeated. "I'm here to tell you I love you" he manage to say, squeezing her fingers.

Without looking back, Regina asked the question she most feared, terrified by the answer that could have come. "Marian?"

"Marian is my past, I loved her with all my heart, I thought I still loved her and couldn't resist when she appeared right there in front of me so suddenly, but…"

Just then, Regina turn around to look in his eyes and saw he wasn't lying. She took his other hand and got closer, leaving only a few centimetres between their bodies.

"… but seeing you run away, with that hurt look on your face, made me understand I've changed".

"You've changed?" she asked, quietly.

"You've changed me, my Queen" he confirmed.

Then he kissed her. Firstly he kissed her softly, fearing she might reject him, then passionately, when she responded to him. Regina let her emotions take over her, she stopped thinking. No hatred, no rage, no dark magic. The Evil Queen had vanished again, leaving in her place the woman Regina had chosen to be. A frail woman, ready to collapse for a wound like the one that had just struck her, but also a strong woman, self-confident, powerful, able to face pain without turning into a monster. And it was only thanks to Robin if she had been able to come back to herself.

"I love you" she told him, sure of those words as she had never been before.

"I choose you, my Queen" he whispered, against her lips. "I love you"


End file.
